Sunday, December 26, 2010

Pub Run

I was running on low expectations when we walked into Latona Pub; we had already left two places because they didn't have what we wanted. The first place was Galway Arms, a self-described pub. I think the term dive bar provides a more accurate image. It had a bunch of great reviews on yelp saying it was a great place to drink with decent pub food. We parked right in front and as we headed in the front door a guy smoking a cigarette turned and walked in ahead of us. Once inside it became apparent that he was watching the place. It was totally empty except for him and us. He said the bartender was gone and would be back in 5 minutes. Looking through to the kitchen which looked dark and empty, I asked if they had food. Pointing at a chalk board he said with as much discouragement as he could muster that they had the items on the board which included french fries as one of the "options". It was obvious he wanted us to leave and that there wouldn't be any food or drink forth coming. I hate to be picky but no food and no drink along with the dismal depressing environment doesn't make me want to rush back.

After that we went to Die Bierstube. We go to Freiereband sometimes for their great beer despite their not so good food but hadn't been to this sister restaurant yet. This place had a nice atmosphere and there appeared to be food and drink. We sat down and stared at the menu for a while. Nobody came up to us and after debating the lack of a burger on a menu (sorry but a pub should always have a burger on the menu) we headed for the door. This was made easy because for the 5+ minutes we sat there nobody came to take our order so we didn't feel bad about leaving water glasses on the table since none had been delivered.

Our third try was Latona pub near Greenlake. We walked into a very crowded little space and were seated immediately by a hostess. Imagine that! She delivered menus and my husband ordered me a great creamy stout. After delivering our beer it took them slightly longer than it should have to come get our food orders (we were starving at this point though so that might have been part of the problem). I ordered a chicken quesadilla off the appetizer menu and my husband ordered their burger. The quesadilla was not bad, standard pub food. It was not spectacular but had good chicken, large plump pinto beans in it and was served with salsa and sour cream. My husbands burger was phenomenally delicious, with super high quality beef shining through served on top of a great ciabatta type bun. My only gripe is that pubs should serve fries and that wasn't an option with this burger. It came with a salad of mixed greens with mediocre salad dressing that tasted like not too much thought had gone into it. The atmosphere was lovely with pretty lighting, small tables for two and a couple of booths all of which were full of happy looking people. The bar was fully stocked and they had a great list of beers written on a board. There were TVs playing sports that were present but not overwhelming the place.

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Thank you for visiting Salt on the Table; my name is Sonia and I am the author. This blog chronicles the portion of my life that is devoted to food and what inspires me in the kitchen. The recipes I create, cookbooks I read, restaurants I visit, food I encounter on my travels, as well as some occasional musings on food.